Vehicle.



P. w. COLSON. VEHICLE. APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 7, 1912.

1,100,713. Patented June 23, 1914,

WITNESSES id W UNITED STATES FALEENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK W. COLSON, 0F ELYRIA, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE MACHINE PARTS OOM- PANY, OF ELYRIA, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

VEHICLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 23, 1914.

Application filed August 7, 1912. Serial No. 713,714.

To a whom it may concern Be it known that l, Fnnninuok \V. COL- son, a citizen of the United States, residing at lllyria, in the county of Lorain and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicles; and 1 do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of my invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to vehicles, and more particularly to the character of vehicles which are known in the trade as invalid chairs, such as are ordinarily employed for the transportation of invalids. It will be readily understood that one pair of the wheels should be pivoted in some way so as to permit their turning when it is desired to change the direction of the vehicle. It has been found difficult to do this with some types of vehicles for various reasons. For example, in an invalid chair, the wheel base is short, especially where the invalid sits upright; consequently it will be diflicult to guide the wheels to be turned without the provision of especially operated means like a steering wheel.

()ne of the objects of my invention is the provision of means by which the vehicle may be steered by increasing the pressure on one side or the other. I also aim to provide means for restoring such wheels to normal when such pressure is relieved.

Other objects of my invention and the invention itself will be best understood from the particular description of the embodiment of my invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 illustrates an invalid chair, showing the use of the embodiment of my invention illustrated. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the front axles. Fig. I? is a front elevation of the apparatus shown in Fig. '2. Figs. i. 3 and (3 are details.

leferring now to the drawings, at 1. I show an invalid chair mounted upon four wheels. the rear wheels being shown at 2 and the front wheels at 3 and 3. The front axles and their associated devices are connected to the chair by suitable means, suc as straps l. which are perforated at 5 for the convenient use of some suitable fasten ing means. such as screws or bolts. The front axles are shown at 6, 6. These axles l l t l l l l l l 1 are supported from a suitable member, such as a connecting beam 7, which may be bifurcated at each end, as shown at 8, 8. The member T is connected, as shown, to the straps l. The axles 6, 6 may be pivoted to the member 7 in the bifurcated ends 8, 8", as shown. I prefer bolts 9 for this purpose. The axles are normally out of aliiieiiieiit with the member 7, being preferably behind said member, and may be connected to the 1 through arms 10 upon said axles. The axles are also connected together by a member 12, which may be a thrust rod pivoted to arms 13 and 13 upon the axles. These arms, as shown. may extend substantially at right angles to the axles. The axles shotilti normally parallel to the member 7 and when the vehicle is moved forward, there Wotan be a tendency for each of the axles to rota e to the rear about its pivot 9 This is prevented by the member 12, and as long as the pressure on each wheel is the same, the thrust in each direction upon the member 12 will be the same, though opposite, so that the axles will remain in their normal pdfsition parallel to the member and perpendicular to the direction of the moveiiieiit of the vehicle. Should, however, the pressure upon one of the front wheels be increased over that of the other, the thrusts in the different directions upon the member 12 will no longer be equal, so that the aides will turn upon their pivots, one to the rear and the other to the front, thus cansing the direction of the vehicle to change.

In order to prevent slight d'fi'erences in pressure from turning the axles, I provide some means, such as an elastic member, which may also be a resilient member. Such means may be placed between the parts which move with the axles \vlienthey are deflected for steering purposes, and the :parts connected to the Vehicle proper. the form shown, springs, preferably coil springs 20. are connected between the .rod 12 andthe member 7 and may be connected at one end to the center of the rod, and at the other end to the member 7 adjacent its ends. The} springs perform another function, whic consists of returning the axles t o nqrhial h position when the pressures on the two front wheels are equalized again, it being under stood that when the axles are deflected, one of the springs will be stretched and other contracted, so that the effort of oile spring which is normally equal to that of the combination of the other, will now be greater and will tend -to restore the members to normal condition, I

which it will be able to do soon as the pressures upon the two wheels are equal.

The functions and the apparatus itself;

will probably be better understood from a course of the chair, the pressure on one side or rear wheel is increased in some way, as through the handles. This will tend to cause the front wheel on the opposite side to drag so that it will thrust against the rod 12 with a force greater than the force from the other side, and should this difierence be sutlicient to overcome the tendency of the springs to maintain the normal positions, the axles will turn the one on the right (assuming it is desired to change the course to the right) to the rear, (clockwise in Fig. 2), and the other forward (likewise clockwise in Fig. 2). The spring on the right will be extended, and that on the left contract. When the conditions are returned to normal, and the pressures on the two sides substantially equal, the spring under tension will return the axles to the positions shown in Fig. 2, which is the normal position.

It will be readily understood that other forms of springs than those shown may be employed, and that they may be connected in any suitable way to the parts which they control. It will also be obvious to those skilled in the art that numerous and exten sive departures from the forms and details of the apparatus here shown may be made without departing from the spirit of this invention, the same being herein shown solely for the purpose of clearly illustrating one specific embodiment thereof.

I claim 1. In a chair vehicle of the class described, the combination of a beam, a pair of axles pivoted to said beam and being normally out of alinement with said beam, connecting means connecting said axles together, elastic means connecting said connecting means and said beam, and wheels on said axles.

2. In a chair vehicle of the class described, the combination of a beam, axles pivoted to said beam and normally behind said beam, a connecting rod connecting said axles and elastic means connecting said rod and said beam.

3. In a chair vehicle of the class described, the combination of a beam, a pair of axles, arms on said axles, said arms being pivoted to said beam, the axles being normally behind the beam, connecting means connecting said axles together, and yielding means connecting said connecting means and said beam.

4. In a chair vehicle of the class described,

a beam, a pair of axles, each having two arms and each pivoted by one of its arms to said beam, so that the axles are normally in the rear of the beam, a connecting rod connecting the other arms of said axles and yielding resilient means 5 connecting said rod to said beam. descriptlon of the operation which is as tol l lows :\Vhen it is desired to change the:

5. In a chair vehicle of the class described, the con'ibination oi a beam, axles pivoted to said beam and normally in the rear thereof, connecting means connecting said axles together and springs connected at one end near the center of said means, and at the other near the ends of said beam.

6. In a chair vehicle of the class described, the combination of a beam, axles pivoted to said beam and being normally substantially parallel thereto, means to maintain said axles in normal position when the pressure on each is substantially equal to the pressure on the other and yielding means permitting said axles to move from normal position when the pressures on the axles are unequal.

7. In a chair vehicle of the class described, the combination of a beam, axles pivoted thereto normally positioned behind said beam, means connecting said axles together for holding them normally substantially parallel to said beam, said axles being turned upon their pivots when the pressures on the one is increased over the pressure on the other and means to restore said axles to normal position when the pressures on the two sides are equalized.

8. In a chair vehicle of the class described, the combination of a beam, axles pivoted thereto, normally positioned behind said beam, means connecting said axles together for holding them normally substantially parallel to said beam, said axles being turned upon their pivots when the pres sure on the one is increased over the pres sure on the other and spring means to restore said axles to normal position when the pressures on the two sides are equalized.

9. In a chair vehicle of the class described, the combination of a pair of axles pivoted thereto, means to maintain said axles in normal position when the pressures upon them are the same, said axles being turned upon their pivots when such pres sures differ in value, means to maintain said axles substantially parallel and means to restore said axles to normal position when such pressures are equal.

10. In a chair vehicle of the class described, the combination of a body part, axles pivoted to said body part and normally behind the pivots, connecting means con necting said axles together, elastic means connecting said connecting means, and said body part, and wheels on said axles.

11. In a chair vehicle of the class described, the combination of a connecting beam, an axle pivoted to each end of the beam and normally substantially parallel but out of alinement therewith, an arm on each axle on the side thereof opposite the side connected to the beam, a rod connecting said arms together, a long spring connecting the beam to the center of the rod, a second long spring connecting the beam to the center of the rod, said springs preventing the turning of the axles during normal changes of pressure thereon, wheels on said axle and a frame to which the axle is connected.

12. In a chair vehicle of the class described, the combination of a connecting beam, an axle pivoted to each end of the beam and normally substantially parallel but out of alinement therewith, arms on said axles, a rod connecting the arms together, springs connecting the rod to the beam, means to connect the springs to the beam, said connecting means being out of the path of movement of the axles and the arms thereon, said springs adapted to prevent inadvertent movements of the axles, Wheels on the axles and a frame to Which the beam is connected.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

FREDERICK W. (OLSON \Vitnesses M. E. VILLIAMS, A. E. SHUBERT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

